Kind of a random topic, but I have been learning about avocado seed benefits in these past couple of weeks, mostly because I’m hungry. I chose this time to do a 21 day cleanse with a complete elimination diet, which sounded awesome in my head but is working out to be one heck of a challenge. If you’re not sure why anyone would be insane enough to do this, read more about elimination diets here (although I’d suggest doing it in summer when nobody in Texas feels like eating anyway). So – my diet right now is incredibly limited and I’m looking for ways to get extra nutrition out of the things I’m allowed to eat, hence the avocado seed benefits, and as it turns out they are AWESOME for you. I’m noticing a big difference in my level of satisfaction with the morning smoothie as well as energy and feeling of fullness.
How do You Eat An Avocado Seed?
Avocado seeds are pretty significantly hard, and not the most pleasant tasting things to chew on directly – they have a little bit astringent, little bit bitter flavor (but if you read the nutritarian post, you know that the astringent/bitter flavor usually means it’s literally full of amazing nutrients, which happens to be one of the avocado seed benefits as well). My compromise was to chop it into smaller pieces (carefully, I found out the hard way that kitchen knives like to slide off rounded edges rather than cut through them. Oops!) and add it to my morning smoothie. The flavor is easily covered by a banana and frozen berries and my vitamix makes short work of the grinding.
Avocado Seed Benefits:
- Fiber. More soluble fiber ounce per ounce than almost any other food out there.
- Antibacterial and antifungal. There is evidence that avocado seeds inhibit the growth of bacteria in the gram positive rod group and also of a variety of fungii including candida.
- Antioxidant. 70% of the total antioxidants from the whole avocado are found within the seed, which means we often throw away the best part. Just as an aside, the skins are also extremely high in antioxidants so that might be the next food experiment.
- Anti-cancer!! A flavenol from avocado seed was given to rats with cancer, which induced programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the cancer cells. Serious avocado seed benefits!
- Anti-inflammatory for the GI tract. Historically avocado seeds were used in South America to help treat dysentery, gastric ulcers and other digestive disorders.
- Boosts skin collagen. Avodaco seed oil actually boosts collagen production in your skin and makes hair shinier and skin softer. Talk about a super food!
- Boosts heart health. The oils from avocado seeds and flesh include 71% monounsaturated fats (MUFA), 13% polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) and 16% saturated fatty acids (SFA). This helps promote healthy blood lipid profiles and support cardiovascular health.
Avocado Seed Smoothie:
Here’s what I’ve been doing mornings this week to enjoy the avocado seed benefits and supercharge my nutrition:
- 1/2 avocado (including flesh and 1/2 of the seed, cut in pieces)
- 1 banana
- 3/4-1 cup organic frozen berry blend
- 1 scoop fiber powder
- 2-3 scoops protein powder (right now I’m using SP complete dairy-free, which is unflavored and unsweetened)
- Water to bring to the right texture.
Blended this tastes like a rich, creamy, berry smoothie and it’s really filling. You know you’re getting great fiber, great fats, protein and a ton of antioxidants. The berries and banana cover up the flavor of the avocado seed, but you still get all the avocado seed benefits. You will feel a health boost from the antioxidants and phenolic compounds and power-pack your day. This smoothie also starts you out on the right track with so much fiber to keep your blood sugars regulate, and give you sustained energy to last the morning. Just be sure you let it blend for a while because chunks of avocado seed aren’t the most appetizing thing.